Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus

Last updated: September 30, 2026

Situation overview

Transmission remains active in seven provinces:  Ituri, North Kivu, South-Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Bas-Uélé, Tshopo and South Ubangi. 

There are currently more than 8,200 confirmed cases, around 4,000 reported deaths, and more than 2,000 survivors. The mortality rate is 48.4% (as of September 29, 2026, according to the National Institute of Public Health).

76% of all confirmed cases have been recorded in Ituri province, the outbreak’s original epicentre. However, a closer look at recent trends reveals a worrying shift: North Kivu now accounts for nearly half of all newly reported cases and is recording the highest case fatality rate in the country, at 59%. 

Meanwhile, the confirmation of two cases in South Ubangi has expanded the outbreak’s geographic footprint to seven provinces. The true scale of the outbreak is likely even greater, as surveillance gaps and limited access to some affected areas mean that not all cases are detected or reported. 

At first glance, the latest figures may appear encouraging: In Ituri, the original epicenter, the situation is slowing down for now, and CTEs in this province are receiving less patients. However, these figures need to be interpreted with caution. Nationally, the number of new cases has not fallen. The outbreak is not shrinking, it is moving into new, underprepared areas, making containment efforts increasingly challenging. 

During the first 100 days of the outbreak, the DRC has recorded nearly six times as many infections as were reported during the early stages of the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic - the deadliest on record.     

MSF is running a massive response, continuously adjusted to the epidemiological situation. 

MSF has allocated a budget of €64 million to the Ebola response.  

MSF is supporting the response in five of the seven affected provinces:  

• Ituri: Mongbwalu, Bunia, Nia Nia, Bambu, Fataki, Drodro and Angumu  
• North Kivu: Goma, Butembo, Beni, Rutshuru, Kibirizi, Mweso, Walikale 
• Tshopo: Kisangani 
• Haut-Uélé: Isiro 
• South Ubangi

Beyond patient care and treatment, MSF is actively working across other important response pillars helping to limit transmission, strengthen local capacity, and improve access to care (non-exhaustive list): 

• Infection Prevention and Control (IPC): IPC measures are essential to prevent Ebola transmission, particularly in healthcare settings. These measures include the provision and correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), the safe isolation of suspected cases, rigorous hand hygiene practices and the safe management of medical waste and sharps. 

  • Since the start of the outbreak, MSF is supporting health facilities through IPC training and the provision of protective equipment and essential IPC materials. 

     

• Water Sanitation and Hygiene: WASH teams play a vital role in preventing the spread of the virus by ensuring safe water supplies and carrying out cleaning and disinfection activities in healthcare facilities, ambulances, and the homes of infected patients. They also work alongside partners involved in dignified and safe burials, helping to prepare bodies and reduce the risk of transmission.

  • Inside an ETC, an average of 300 litres of water is needed, per patient, per day, mostly for laundry, cleaning and disinfection. In Plaine Savo displaced camp, around 500 latrines are under construction, and 13 water trucks are daily distributed 4/5 litres drinkable water to the 78 000 IDPs.  

     

• Community engagement: Communities play a crucial role in ending Ebola disease outbreaks. MSF works closely with community leaders, local organisations, and affected populations to ensure that accurate information about the disease is shared, concerns are addressed, and people know when and how to seek care. This also builds trust in the response. 

  • Since the start of the outbreak, MSF teams have carried out regular community engagement activities to foster trust and maintain dialogue with affected communities. For example, at Elikiya ETC, community leaders are invited each week to visit the facility, ask questions, and engage directly with MSF teams. 

     

• Disease surveillance: Rapid identification of cases is critical to stopping the spread of Ebola. MSF supports disease surveillance efforts through contact tracing, case investigation, alert management, and strengthening lab capacity. 
  • The MSF on-site laboratory at Elikiya ETC processes an average of 40 samples each day, delivering results in as little as one hour. Before the laboratory was established, obtaining results could take two to three days. 
    

The epidemic is a crisis within a crisis as it is unfolding in regions already affected by decades of conflict, displacement, violence and an extremely weak health system, with millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance. 

In Ituri, the original epicentre, the situation is slowing down for now. But nationally, the number of new cases has not fallen. The outbreak is not shrinking, it is moving.